The First Step Towards AVENGERS VS X-MEN Is Revealed

This week Marvel announced that the Avengers and the X-Men would be going up against one another. We've seen superheroes fight other superheroes all the time. It's a classic comic book cliche. From the information released so far and all the creators involved, it's shaping up to be more than a mere cliche. This is going to be an event. Say what you want about events, you can't argue that, as a fan, seeing an epic battle like this is going to be worth checking out.

The question is, what starts it all? Why would these two teams fight, especially where there are members belonging to both teams? Looks like we'll start getting some answers in next week's AVENGERS: X-SANCTION #1.

The opening salvo in the upcoming war between the Avengers and X-Men is fired in next week’s Avengers: X-Sanction #1 from the chart topping team of Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness! The time-traveling mutant known as Cable, has returned from the future with 24 hours to save the world…by destroying the Avengers?! What makes Earth’s Mightiest Heroes such a threat to a better tomorrow? Cable’s on a mission to prevent the tragedies that lead to the events of Avengers VS X-Men…and every move he makes irrevocably changes the direction of the Marvel Universe!

“On the eve of the biggest Marvel event—maybe ever—Ed McGuinness and I are thrilled to be the lead-in forAvengers VS X-Men,” said Loeb. “Hopefully longtime fans and first time Cable, X-Men and Avengers readers will be excited by a story that can be read entirely on its own -- and at the same time has lots of stocking stuffer-esque surprises just in time for the holidays.”

It all begins with Cable versus Captain America…and only one will emerge victorious! The Avengers and X-Men are on a collision course…and the first steps towards war are taken in Avengers: X-Sanction #1, available in comic stores and on the Marvel Comics app next Wednesday!

Retailers: Please note that Marvel is rush printing a second printing of Avengers: X-Sanction #1 due to expected demand and its relationship to Avengers vs X-Men. Check the Marvel Mailer and Diamond Daily for more details.

I think cable knew of the upcoming fight between the Avengers and X-Men. I believe the X-Men lost the fight and Cable has come back to soften up the Avengers so the X-Men will win.

Not outside the realm of possibilities, though I think it's more likely that he's come back to protect Hope.

Same thing if you think about it. If the X-Men lose so does she. He could want to protect her from what happens as a result of them losing or maybe the fight might revolve around her. That is if this Cable has met hope yet.

Maybe its just me but it kinda seems like the Avengers would have their collective behinds handed to them by the X-men... like Magneto alone could give them a run for their money... never mind all the telepaths... Colossus/Juggernaut, Rachel Summers, Hope, Magik, Iceman, Storm, Wolverine, Cable, Danger, Cyclops, Rogue, Professor x and the army of other mutants at Cykes disposal.. Sure theres a few there that might side with the avengers or stay out of the fight altogether.. but that doesn't change the fact that the avengers shouldn't stand a chance...

I figured either he came back to stop Bishops future from coming true or him losing his daughter to the Phoenix Force or Hope being killed by the avengers before she is able to fully connect with the Phoenix force

Just thinking, Cable probably has 24 hours, because he temporarily came back right before or in the middle of Sacrificing himself to send the X-force back from the future in Second Coming. This would explain why the Techno Organic Virus has ravaged his body more than usual. After his 24 hours are up, he goes back to the future to finish his sacrifice. Therefore this is only a temporary resurrection of Cable. At the end of this he will be dead again. One last mission to save his baby. This is going to be sweet.

A few questions. Why is it Avengers Vs. X-men and not X-men Vs. Avengers (no doubt alphabetical, and I'm just being pedantic)? Where's Tanarus in this? I assume he's taken up Thor's mantle as an Avenger. Finally, I can see another comic book death heading this way with such an event as this.

well it was said in the interviews at marvel.com that thor would be in this as well so edge might go to avengers on this but maybe not lol i can't decide I love both teams... so now i'm excited to see quite a few fights

Cable is a time master. No surprise they didn't wait very lng after his death to bring him back. For 24 hours? We'll see. It would be a great idea for a new Cable series to pick up where the final issue of Deadpool Vol. 2 leaves off. It would make sense with this trend of Marvel titles changing titles. (i.e. Incr. Herc, DD, Journey...)

Loeb and McGuiness made Superman awesome again a decade ago. It would be dope if they could do the same with Cable.

meh... who cares,maybe I'm one of the few people who felt this way but I was completely and totally horrified by Civil War. It turned my favorite Heroes into BAD GUYS. After Secret Invasion and the announcement of the new Heroic Age, I had high hopes that Marvel was moving away from this BS. But now they're plunging right back into it. Hero vs. Hero, I'm so sick of this.

@Edgeworth_11: You don't know the situation or the condition of the fight so you can't say that for sure. It's easy to think of scenarios where the X-Men can lose but this isn't a place to debate that.

Completely spitballing here, but lets say that Hope gets possessed by the Phoenix Force, and it leads to Cap thinking shes a threat, and consequently he attempts to take her out. Obviously that would provide plenty of motivation for Cable to come back and stop them from doing so. Just a theory.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I though Wolverine and Spidey were off the main Avengers team? If so, what are they doing here? Also, since when was Falcon on any of the Avengers teams? We literally just had a new roster, they can't be screwing around with that already!

Cable's sole motivation since Messiah Complex has been protecting Hope. We know that Avengers Vs. X-Men will feature the return of the Phoenix Force, and also explore an unspecified link between Hope, Jean Grey, and the Scarlet Witch. My guess is, Hope is the reincarnation of Jean, born as a side-effect of M Day. This of course means that she is an ideal vessel for the Phoenix, which has begun to seek her out, travelling through time to do so. The Avengers have had a hang-up over the last couple of years of preventing a repeat episode of Wanda's breakdown, while Wolverine has already promissed he will stop Hope if she ever looses control. They're going to identify Hope as a threat, and decide to bring her down before she can do any harm. Naturally, Cable is going to stop them, thus starting the conflict between Avengers and X-men.